Friendzoned (The Busy Bean)

by Rachel Blaufeld

  “I think I recall hearing about this at Pressman. You were asking me about driving in the snow, saying you’d never done that. Did you ever get a chance?”

  Heat crept up my cheeks. “No.”

  “And you’re living in Vermont now? You’re going to get a chance sooner than you think.”

  On that, we pulled up in front of my place.

  “I guess, but not for long—” I cut myself off before saying anything more.

  “Huh? What’s that all about?”

  “Nothing. Honestly, I’m tired is all.” I brushed at my eye, willing the tears to stay put.

  Vermont was where people put down roots. Look at Ben with his family loyalty and relationships with all the small business owners. That wasn’t me. I knew absolutely nothing about roots or long-term connections.

  Ben opened the passenger side door and escorted me to my front door.

  “Night, Murph.” He pulled me in and pressed his lips to mine. “Hope to see you before it snows,” he joked.

  “It had better not snow here in July.”

  I opened my door and slipped inside, watching through a small crack in the door as Ben walked back to his car.

  “It will snow a few times before I leave,” I whispered to myself as I closed the door.

  21

  Murphy

  “Murphy?”

  I turned around to find a shorter woman with a blond topknot on top of her head, staring at me from across the coffee bar.

  “Never mind,” she said without giving me a chance to respond. “Of course you are. I don’t know why I asked. I know you are. I’m Gigi, by the way.”

  It was Wednesday afternoon. My head was somewhat in the clouds, half dreaming of my date the night before, half panicking over what it all meant when it came to Ben. And me. And the future.

  “Hunnie’s been talking up a storm about you,” Gigi said, “and honestly, I was getting jealous. She’s got her act together, and it’s hard not to be envious, and then she plucks you out of the sky to help her get even better.”

  I finished making the latte I’d been working on when Gigi first interrupted me and set it on the bar while she rambled away.

  “Anyway, I’m sorry to barge in on you here, and I know you’re busy. I’m shocked you can do all that without burning yourself or making the wrong drink. Kirk was a master of that, listening and making lattes at the same time.”

  Wiping my hands down the front of my pink apron—no longer impressed it was designer since I was all about function these days—I finally spoke. “It’s taken me a while, but I think I have it down now. By the way, I am Murphy.” I felt the need to clarify her earlier rhetorical question.

  Looking to make sure there were no more drink orders coming down the bar, I smiled at the famous Gigi, happy to finally meet her. “Thank you for the cupcake, by the way. It was delicious.”

  “I hear you’re a fan of the Arnie Palmer one, but that maple one was just for you. It was a one-off, but since it passed your taste buds, maybe I’ll make it a regular.”

  Sneaking a peek out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Zara watching us with interest. Refocusing on Gigi, I said, “Well, this is Vermont after all. I would think a maple cupcake would go over well.”

  “Yes, but you know, I’m on this Goldbelly delivery thing for my Arnies. It’s been amazing, but I need more of an online presence. Who would believe little old Colebury represented on Goldbelly?”

  I nodded. “It’s all the rage. I know from when I lived in New York.”

  A customer walked in and ordered a regular drip coffee, and Zara poured it for him. Cup in hand, he walked toward the peach sofa just as Rita walked through the door. Her eyes widened and she scurried over to her seat, tossing her bag down and seated on the sofa before the guy even made it there. Not missing a beat, he changed direction and headed over to one of the tables by the window and cracked a book open.

  Lost in my thoughts, I tried to think about that happening in the Big Apple. Maybe on a Sunday with the Times, but someone would be clamoring for the table after not too long.

  “Can you help me?” Gigi said, pulling me out of my fog.

  Mentally, I tried to catch up. “Help with what?”

  “With social media. Like Hunnie. I’ll pay you.” Her topknot bounced from side to side with her excitement. “You see, I just got married and need to save some time for my sweetie.”

  In a flash, I saw an Instagram campaign focused on falling in love with cupcakes set for this coming autumn. Before I could even say I didn’t have a lot of time to give or ask how much she was going to pay me, I was nodding my head in agreement.

  “Great.” She clapped her hands with delight and did a little jig. “Hunnie said you usually meet at her place, so maybe I could join in? Isn’t it so cool? Her shed?”

  “It certainly is, but I need to swing by your shop first to get a feel for it.”

  “Of course, anytime. It’s Oh, For Heaven’s Cakes, just down the street from here.”

  I chuckled. “I know. I’ve been avoiding it. As if the Arnie cupcakes here aren’t bad enough for my waistline.”

  “Lucky you,” Gigi said with a big grin. “Now you get free cupcakes anytime you want. Listen, think about what you want to charge and send me a text. Here.” She held out a business card. “That’s my information.”

  Stunned, I reached for the card. “Okay,” was all I could say before she whirled around to leave.

  “Catch you later,” she called out over her shoulder with a wave.

  I couldn’t help but notice her cute pink high-tops and wondered if Hunnie scolded her for those like she had my white shorts.

  As I washed my hands, I didn’t hear Zara come up from behind me.

  “Pretty soon, you’re going to need a business card.”

  Drying my hands, I tried to stifle a giggle. “I doubt it, but I’m definitely having fun with this.”

  Zara’s hair was pulled back, all shiny, black, and tight. With bright cheeks and a broad smile, she always looked happy. Another one lucky in love, making all their dreams come true.

  “Do you still want to work here?” she asked, as up front as always.

  Swallowing my pride, I leaned against the counter by the sink. “Yes, I do. I need to.”

  She gave me a serious look. “I get it’s not what you went to school for, and I don’t want to hold you back.”

  Shaking my head, I said, “I want to be here. I like it here. Actually, I had an idea. It may be silly, but I was thinking we could host a book club here.”

  “Oh yeah? So you’re not only dreaming up ideas for Hunnie and Gigi?”

  “Making coffee is my number one priority,” I said with a smile. The shop was still quiet, but that usually meant any second we would be slammed, so I decided to hurry up and tell her my idea. “Yeah, a book club. I’ve been reading a lot lately. Chick lit, romance, sometimes steamy, sometimes not . . . I like it all. Even the historicals. Seriously.”

  “Is that so?” Zara asked with a smirk.

  “Yes. It’s such a great escape. I’m actually loving it, and I’ll bet we have a lot of readers in the area. I was thinking we could choose a book and set a date, maybe a Friday or Sunday, and then have a little discussion here. Everyone would buy coffees, and we could come up with a specialty dessert. Oh, maybe Gigi could help with that.”

  “I like it.” Zara nodded thoughtfully. “It would definitely be so nice for the community.”

  “And . . .” Before I lost my nerve, I shared the rest of the idea. “I saw this thing on the internet on matching makeup and nail colors to the book cover. The trend started in New York, but it’s spreading around. Bloggers are picking it up. It could be fun. Colebury is ready for it,” I said, taking a long breath when I was done.

  “It’s definitely a stretch for here, but I’m willing to give it a try. You’re the resident big-city girl. Does this mean you’re putting down roots here?”

  Swallowing the giant lump in my thro
at—there was that word again, roots—I shook my head. “I’m definitely growing to like it here more and more every day, but eventually I’ll take my experience back to a city. Not New York, but somewhere I can make my own name.”

  Zara raised an eyebrow. “What about Ben? I see the way you two look at each other. And you can’t deny you’re spending a lot of time together.”

  Unable to stop a huge smile from forming, I felt my eyes crease. “We go way back, and we’re definitely having fun.” Fun like I’ve never had. “It’s fun now, but it’s not a long-term thing.”

  She gave me a speculative look. “Are you sure that’s how Ben sees it? I’ve never heard about him being this gaga for someone. He may not live in Colebury, but he spends enough time here.”

  “I’m sure,” I said with a certainty I wasn’t sure I believed but forced myself to get behind.

  Then we were saved by the chimes above the door when a customer arrived, a book tucked under their arm.

  Zara nodded toward the book. “I’m liking the book club idea more and more.”

  With no further discussion of Ben, we went back to selling and making coffees.

  22

  Ben

  “Hi, Mom,” I said, picking up the phone as I was leaving the medical center. There was no use ignoring her call. She knew I saw patients on Wednesday afternoons and would be getting out around now—in time for dinner.

  “Ben, I’m so glad to get you on the phone. Dad is grilling steaks, and we wanted to see if you wanted to come eat.”

  Sliding into my car, I said, “Sure, that would be great. I wanted to tell you guys some news anyway.”

  “About Murphy?”

  I stifled a sigh. Of course Marley had already spilled the news about seeing us together at the farmers’ market. “Not exactly.”

  “But I heard you were out with Murphy last night. Is it the same Murphy?”

  Pulling out of the parking lot, I said, “Mom, I’ll see you in a few, and then you can ask me anything you want.”

  After I parked my Jeep in front of the house I grew up in, I took a long inhale and even longer exhale. “Hey,” I hollered in the hallway.

  “Out here,” my dad yelled through the screened back door.

  “I’m starving,” I said as I stepped out onto the back deck, where he was grilling a sizable number of steaks.

  “Good thing,” Dad said with a grin. “Hunnie’s parents dropped off these steaks. They got them from a friend of theirs over in New Hampshire. They’re excited I’m agreeing to this petting zoo venture and goat yoga, to say the least.”

  Shrugging, I said, “If it sells syrup, who cares?”

  “There you are.” My mom came bursting out the back door, her black hair threaded with gray swinging with the movement. Everyone said I resembled my mom, but I have my dad’s height.

  “Hi, Mom,” I said, pulling her in for a hug.

  “Want a beer?”

  I shook my head. “Can’t. I have an early morning tomorrow.”

  “Sit,” she said.

  Knowing Mom wouldn’t let me help unless I had a reason, I said, “Let me wash my hands, and then I can help you bring stuff outside. I assume we’re eating out here.”

  Back inside, I used the kitchen sink to scrub my hands and noticed a big bowl filled with my favorite pasta salad.

  “I made your favorite,” my mom said, walking to the fridge.

  “I see. Buttering me up?”

  Mom chuckled. “Never.”

  I grabbed the bowl of pasta in one hand and a stack of napkins in the other, and then headed back outside.

  “Myra, I need a plate. These are done,” my dad called out, and Mom came running with a platter. Together, they were a well-oiled machine.

  “Sit,” Mom said again, and when I obeyed, she went back into the kitchen and returned with corn on the cob and fresh green beans.

  “Am I that predictable?” I asked. “You knew I wouldn’t turn down a steak?”

  “Don’t be silly,” my mom said, laughing as she sat down.

  Once we’d all sat down and filled our plates, I said, “I bought some land and a house over by Mad River, close to skiing and biking paths. It’s private and quiet.”

  Dad nodded approvingly. “Good for you, son. You deserve it.”

  After chewing a bite of steak, perfectly medium rare, just like I like it, I said, “Well, it’s more for Branson. We can spend time there together. It’ll be good for him.”

  Dad nodded and let it go, but he gave Mom a warning look as she squirmed in her seat. Obviously, she was waiting to pounce.

  “This is good,” I said, ending the uncomfortable silence that followed.

  Dad reached for his glass to take a sip. “Yeah, I think Hunnie wants her folks to start carrying these steaks locally for sale. She’s expanding their business in every direction. That girl has big plans.”

  “She does,” I said, not knowing where this was going, but remembering Murphy asking me if Hunnie and I had ever had a thing. “I wonder why she didn’t try to partner with Scott. You know, Brenna’s friend from high school.”

  “Eh,” my mom said, “he can be a jerk. He dropped Brenna.”

  “Darling,” Dad said gently. “She was pregnant with someone else’s baby. There’s only so much rejection a man can take.”

  He turned to face me, and I noticed how gray he was going at the temples. “Speaking of Hunnie, sometimes I think she wants to not only combine ventures, but lives, if you get my drift.”

  “I do, and that’s not going to happen.” Before I could say any more, I stuffed my mouth full of pasta.

  Mom pointed her fork at him. “Didn’t you hear me say his Murphy is back, Bill?”

  “Myra, you gotta get those silly fantasies outta your head. Ben is a big boy, all grown up. He’s not having an affair with some girl from high school, a city girl yet. He may have gone off to that fancy school, but he’s back home now.”

  “Actually, she lives in Vermont now and likes it,” I said carefully. “She’s doing some work for Hunnie too.”

  “Really?” My mom’s eyes narrowed as she went in for the kill. She was a barracuda with only a tiny morsel of information.

  “On social media. I would think she’ll be helping with the animals too.”

  Mom put down her silverware, taking in every word I said. “This is so great. It’s time you did something for you, Ben. Not just the house in Mad River, which we all know is a veiled attempt at pleasing Brenna, making up for what Branson is missing. Plus, Bill, remember—Ben may not be here forever. Maybe a city girl is good for him.”

  Ignoring her wink, I said, “It’s not anything yet, Mom. Please don’t run with this.”

  “Oh, Ben, I can’t help it. You were crazy for the girl back then. I’m sure she’s an even more fabulous woman.”

  “Let’s hear about the house and land,” my dad said, changing the subject.

  And thank fuck for that.

  Later that evening, I showered and slipped into bed. Inhaling, I was pleased that Murphy’s scent still lingered on my sheets. I’d wanted her to stay the other night, but I could tell some sort of anxiety took hold of her and I didn’t want to push.

  As I laid my head back into the pillow, I couldn’t help but compare this newer version of Murphy to the older one.

  She was still skittish, but in a different way. She used to obsess over pleasing her parents, but now she seemed to be overly concerned with doing what she thought was the best or smartest move. She still seemed to need reassurances from some outside source and hadn’t learned to just be happy with herself.

  I didn’t have a chance to think about it any further because my phone chimed. I wasn’t on call, so I wasn’t obligated to check it, but I did.

  You up? the text read. Two words from the woman of my thoughts.

  I am, was all I sent back, and then my phone rang.

  I tried to hide the want and huskiness in my voice when I answered. “Hello, Murph. This is a
nice surprise.”

  “I didn’t want to bug you, but had to call and thank you.”

  “For what?” A smile took over my face as I swept my hair out of my eyes.

  “You pushed me to tell Zara about my idea, and she loved it. We didn’t even discuss the new kid. She was worried about me—me—afraid that I didn’t want to work at the Bean anymore. Anyway, she loved my book club idea, and I’m going full steam ahead, no pun intended. Get it? The Bean? Full steam?”

  Turning on my side, I liked this a little bit too much. Lying in bed, chatting with a woman. Only thing better would be if she were here.

  “I get it. This is awesome,” I told her. “You have great ideas. By the way, I ran into Hunnie earlier when I was on my way to have dinner with my parents.”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah, no big deal.” Secretly, I liked the hint of jealousy that sneaked past her confident exterior. “We drove past each other on the road and rolled down the windows. She’s dying for you to get those straw samples.”

  “They’re on their way. I was going to tell her tomorrow, as well as that Gigi came and found me and roped me into helping her too.”

  “Really? I pick up cupcakes there for my staff sometimes. And I know Brenna loves her cupcakes for a special occasion.”

  “Well, she found me at the Bean and accosted me. Ha.” Murphy let out a little chuckle over the line, and I could feel her lightness in my chest. “Wants me to relieve her of some of the social media stuff. Of course, Hunnie put her up to it.”

  “Hunnie is Hunnie. She seems to get her way, no matter what. Just ask my dad.”

  “Oh yeah, how was your dinner?”

  “My mom is like a dog with a bone after speaking with Marley.”

  “Uh-oh. I’m shaking in my boots.”